Burnt EndsMakes 20 to 25 pieces
Back in the day, “burnt ends” was the name for the flavorful bits of rub- and smoke-laden bark and meat that fell off brisket when it was being sliced. At the legendary Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, in Kansas City, the guys slicing the brisket sometimes handed tidbits of burnt ends to guests passing their way along the ordering counter. Now burnt ends are a specialty unto themselves.
Now that they are a popular menu item, burnt ends are made from the point end of the brisket—the fatty cut that is laced with delicate strands of collagen and connective tissue and therefore needs to be fully rendered to be done. To make burnt ends, instead of serving the point along with the rest of the cooked brisket, you separate it from the flat, cut it into 1- to 1½-inch cubes, re-season it, and put it back on the cooker for another hour or so to absorb more spice and sauce and develop an all-over crusty bark. The result is a chewy, ultra savory bite of beef.
- Point portion of a cooked 10- to 12-pound brisket (page 110)
- 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup Pure Magic dry rub (page 29) or your choice
- 1 cup Apple City Barbecue Sauce (page 36) or your choice
- 3 to 5 pounds good-quality lump charcoal
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil, punched with a few holes, or a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack
Cut the meat into 1- to 1½-inch cubes, put it in a large bowl, and toss with enough of dry rub to coat evenly. Pour in the sauce and toss again, coating liberally.
Keep the fire from the brisket cook going, adding more hot coals and maintaining your target temperature between 250° and 275°.
Transfer the meat to the foil and put it on the cooker. Close the lid.
Prepare another round of charcoal in the chimney, filling it halfway and lighting it. If the cooker temperature dips more than 5° below your target and adjusting the vents doesn’t bring it back up, add a few more coals. If the cooker temperature climbs more than 5° above your target, close the vents further to allow even less air to feed the fire.
Cook the meat until the sauce is set, forming a bark all over each piece, 1 to 1½ hours.
Serve the burnt ends on a tray with toothpicks or use them to make sandwiches.